Make your X-Y capable analog oscilloscope more useful!
Your oscilloscope can do a lot more using the
Sparkfun Oscilloscope Clock
version 1.1
Available at Sparkfun Electronics
Introducing the Sparkfun Oscilloscope Clock (O-Clock) running Dutchtronix firmware version V4.1ds:
Hardware features:
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Connects to your analog scope in X-Y mode using probes (1x, 10x), wires or BNC cables (with optional connectors) |
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Uses the Atmel AVR Atmega328p microcontroller |
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On board 5V power regulator for use with user provided wall adapter (8-15V DC center positive) |
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On-board Dallas DS1307 Real-Time Clock with 32.768kHz crystal and battery backup: this clock won't lose time! |
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Digital to Analog converter with built-in OpAmp (AD7302): low output impedance. |
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On-board true RS-232 level converter for the serial connection |
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footprint for BNC connectors on PCB: use standard BNC cables |
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DB9 connector on PCB: use a standard RS-232 cable. |
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On-Off switch on PCB |
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Two tactile switches on PCB |
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Intensity Control Output, both positive and negative going |
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optional USB interface using an FTDI USB to serial converter cable or the Sparkfun FTDI breakout board |
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switch to select power from USB interface |
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Header for External Clock Signal (GPS 1 Pulse Per Second, Rubidium Oscillator etc.) |
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Completely assembled |
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Extensive FAQ document available on this website |
Firmware features:
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Select different applications/modes from the on-screen menu: Clock, Terminal, Function Generator, Calibration Screen, Demo and Boot. |
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User control with 2 push button switches, including auto-repeat operation |
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150-250 Hz refresh rate (dependent on the selected clock face mode) |
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Set Time and Date using the on-board button switches. |
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Set clock options and modes with On Screen Menu using the push button switches |
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Roman Numerals Clock Display Option |
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New Clock face: Digital Display Mode now supported (Menu-Dial:Dig) with moving dial dot |
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Binary Clock Display option, together with Hexadecimal numeric Display (Bi-Hex clock) |
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Fractional Seconds display option showing time in 1/100 of a second increments. |
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The AVR Oscilloscope Clock supports a total of 37 different display combinations, many more when including the "Day of the Week" Display Option |
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The Terminal application now supports Persistent Vector Graphics, allowing you to run a games like Asteroids on another computer (PC or AVR based) and use the AVR Clock board as the display device (communication using the Serial Connection). |
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Help Screen, selected by a short S2 push |
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Simple Alarm Clock built-in. Use Menu to turn the Alarm on/off (Menu-Alarm:On). Use the On Screen Change Mode option to set the Alarm Time. |
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On board LED option to show the time in Morse Code (Menu-Led:Morse). |
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Day of the Week display on the screen (Menu-Name:Day) |
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Optionally add your own name to the Clock Display |
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Automatic Daylight Saving Time correction for the years 2015-2021 for the USA and the EU |
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Automatic Screen Repositioning to prevent screen Burn-in; control Burn-In protection frequency from 1 to 9 minutes, or turn the feature off. |
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Display Calibration mode |
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Multiple PPS (pulse per Second) options |
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Software correctable Time Accuracy |
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Play modes to have some fun with the clock. |
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Clean Reset of the EEProm Configuration Data option |
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Select from Multiple Baud Rates for the Serial Interface on the Menu, now including the 250,000 baud value |
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Automatic Time and Date setting when connected to the NMEA Serial output from a GPS device |
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The Function Generator has been sped up by 1 cycle, allowing for higher frequency waveforms. |
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Use the IOCTL serial command to select unusual options. |
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On board very small boot-loader, less than 512 words, leaving 31KB code space available |
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Boot-loader is STK500V1 compatible and uses avrdude to upload firmware (see WinAVR) |
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Firmware pre-programmed and upgradeable through the Serial Interface using the built-in boot-loader. |
Besides keeping accurate time using both clock hands and numeric display, this AVR clock provides a host of options like:
Changing the time or date is done using the on-board push button switches; the item being changed will flash. Depending on the selected display, this can be text (numeric display), a clock hand (analog clock only display) or even columns of "lights" (binary clock only display). |
On Screen Menu
Binary Clock Display 11:49:14 |
This is what the board looks like:
This Sparkfun O-Clock is completely built and requires no assembly. It does not include an oscilloscope and requires an external wall adapter (8-15V DC, center positive). The O-Clock can also be powered from an FTDI USB to serial converter cable or the Sparkfun FTDI breakout board. Most external wall adapters should fit without any problems. Note that, when using an FTDI USB converter cable to power the O-Clock, it is necessary to turn off the LED to obtain a completely stable image (the current used by the LED affects the voltage provided by the USB interface, which affects the image).
A video showing the AVR Oscilloscope clock V3.1 (same design as Sparkfun O-Clock) firmware 4.0 in DEMO mode on a Tektronix 608 X-Y monitor is posted on YouTube. An X-Y monitor is essentially a low frequency oscilloscope without the time-base section. The Tektronix 608 has a very good CRT and the image quality is the best possible.
Low-end Digital Scopes will not work well, High-end Digital Scopes do work (Tek TDS2014B, Tek TDS3034B, Tek TPS2024, HP54600B)
For more information, please email support (at) sparkfun (dot) com
Sparkfun O-Clock on Tektronix 475
Sparkfun O-Clock Links:
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AVR Clock Source Code V4.0 (check readme.txt for V4.0ds version) |
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Technical information:
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Datasheet ATmega328p (Microcontroller) |
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Datasheet AD7302 (DAC) |
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Datasheet DS1307 (RTC) |